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The Valley Golf Centre treats club wielders to a 9-hole helping of par 3s and 4s, which let beginners build confidence and more experienced players work on their short game. Though the course doesn't make things overly difficult through extreme length or grassed-over trap doors, it does incorporate a central lake and a smattering of fairway-side foliage to keep golfers on their toes. When success proves elusive, golfers can head to the 27 outdoor stalls or 13 covered, heated, and lit indoor stalls at the driving range, which also serves as the instructional area for the centre's lessons.

Homestead NW Dev Co. in Lynden provides an array of golf course options for golfers of all skill levels, including pro and beginner.
Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.

With two distinct layouts that bob and weave through groves of douglas fir, cedar, and hemlock trees, both Eighteen Pastures Golf Course and Tall Timber Golf Course invite clubbers for a day of challenging golf. The more difficult of the two layouts, Eighteen Pastures flummoxes stick-flickers with more than 6,800 yards of topsy-turvy terrain, where precipitous hillsides and bending fairways lined with arbors conceal upcoming hazards, which include 10 ponds and a multitude of sand traps. The course's front and back nines converge at the unique clubhouse, a bright red barn with a tall silo on one end said to contain the souls of every golf ball lost on the course.
An easier and shorter alternative to its grassy brethren, Tall Timber sprawls across 5,921 yards of kempt fairways cleaved through second-growth West Coast forests. The rippling waters of streams and ponds run throughout the course, attracting waterfowl and thirsty golf carts as clubbers hack through the 160-acre landscape.

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It’s said that golf is a game of confidence, but arrogantly hacking away at the ball will land you in trouble with more than just the groundskeepers. The key to confident play is knowing exactly how to approach each shot. Nowhere is this more apparent than close to the green, where precision matters more than power. Here are a few of our best golf tips, specifically for improving two of the most difficult aspects of the short game.Surviving a Sand BunkerThe sand bunker can be one of the most harrowing features on a golf course. Of course, the best way to survive a bunker is to avoid it altogether, but sometimes fate lands the ball in the proverbial pits. Luckily, the method of escaping from a bunker is much easier than diving into a pool of quicksand to unplug the drain.1. “Use an open-faced club. The sand wedge!” So advised The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns, and he was right—a standard sand wedge has 56 degrees of loft, but some may prefer to simply use their most lofted club. Then it's time to descend into the bunker. (Pro tip: don’t take your golf bag into the trap; that will only make for a wider area to clean up with a rake when you’re done.)2. Aim 3 inches behind the ball. The sand trap is the only place on the course in which the ball shouldn’t be the first thing your club strikes on the downswing. Once inside, take an open stance and rotate the club to open up the clubface, in effect increasing its loft. Your goal is to take a scoop of sand that will jettison the ball as it splashes.
3. Feel free to take a three-quarters swing. Due to the resistance from the sand, a swing that would normally produce a 40- to 50-yard shot will only launch the ball 15 to 20 feet.4. Do not touch. The rules of golf forbid “grounding” a club (or touching any part of the sand) in a bunker before taking an actual swing, so keep that in mind as you make any practice motions.The Art of Reading a GreenIt might take a stroke—or five—before it’s time to break out the putter, but the art of reading a green starts at tee time.1. Heed the landscape. Even if the pin is still a dimly glimpsed goal, the lay of the land can reveal a lot about how the green behaves. If there’s water nearby, particularly the ocean, the green will most likely slope towards it—though not always. 2. Know the grass. Most greens are one of two types of grass—bermuda or bent. The latter offers little resistance, but the former has a grain that can drastically affect the ball’s path. Pay attention to the angle at which bermuda grass appears lighter—the ball will likely break in that direction. When in doubt about which direction the grain faces, consider that grass typically grows toward the setting sun. 3. Weather can alter a green. A ball will travel much straighter on a soft, wet green than a dry green with firm grass. Likewise, grass tends to grow more in the afternoon, so the ball will break more drastically at 3 p.m. than in the relative calm of dawn, when earthworms still haven’t delivered the grass its coffee. 4. Shoot with confidence. Once you’ve taken in all the information—be sure to look at the green from all angles—decide on your shot and don’t look back. Even a miscalculated shot made with confidence will likely be better than a tentative effort. If you do miss, keep paying attention to the ball: as it passes the hole, it just might whisper what went wrong.
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In golf, decorum isn’t just appreciated—it’s expected. Rules for proper conduct are inseparable from the game itself, and egregious breaches of golf etiquette can brand a player as disrespectful or worse. Sounds pretty scary, right? Fortunately, first-timers need not be intimidated if they simply follow some basic instructions and their own common sense. We recently spoke with Pete Hermes, Caddie Master at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, to get some tips on golf etiquette for beginners. Hermes should know better than anyone how to behave on the course—Medinah hosted the Ryder Cup in 2012 and routinely ranks in the top half of Golf Digest’s best courses in the country, so he must be doing something right.Dress AppropriatelyAt a private club, collared shirts and dress slacks are the norm. Public courses are much more relaxed in terms of dress code, and Hermes says that jeans are a common sight. If in doubt, check the course’s website ahead of time.The Player Farthest Away from the Hole Hits FirstThe player with the lowest score on the previous hole always hits first on the tee. After every player has teed off, whoever is farthest from the hole hits first. On the very first hole of the round, groups might award “honors” (as in, the honor of going first) by flipping a tee or racing golf carts in a 40-yard dash.Don’t Stand Where the Ball Might Hit YouAs a rule, you never want to stand in a position where the golf ball can hit you. Otherwise, it’s polite to stand out of sight and to not make any sudden movements. Hermes advises standing at least 8 feet from whoever is hitting, in line with either the player’s nose or back.Don’t Talk When Another Player is ShootingAny time another player is standing over his or her golf ball, complete silence is best. Socializing between golf shots is perfectly fine, but you should be able to hear the wind rustling through the trees when another player takes a shot.Follow Proper Putting ProtocolJust like on the rest of the course, the player farthest from the hole is given the honor of putting first. Nobody should putt until every player has made it to the green.Play at a Brisk PacePace of play on the golf course is very important. This is where beginners can do a lot to make sure they’re not holding up other players. Hit quickly, don’t spend too much time chatting or looking for a lost ball, and pick up your ball if things get out of hand. According to Hermes, a normal 18-hole round should take about four hours to complete.Know What to Do When You Lose a BallIf you’re playing by the rules of competition, there are certain procedures to follow when you lose a ball. If a tee shot is completely lost, players are supposed to return to the tee box to hit again, with a two-stroke penalty. With that said, in a noncompetitive setting, most players will just drop a ball to keep the game moving quickly.Take Care of the CourseFirst of all, don’t litter. You should also be sure to repair any divots or pitch marks on the green, rake all sand traps, and keep your cart away from the green. The best advice? Just leave the course the way you found it. Hermes may know everything there is to know about golf etiquette, but even he occasionally stumbles upon something unexpected. “One time,” he recalls, “I saw someone get hit by a ball and just walk away like nothing happened. That had to have hurt!” The moral of this painful story? “Be mindful of your position whenever you’re on a golf course.” And never forget to have fun out there—golf may have some complicated rules to abide by, but it’s still a game, after all.

If you’re skeptical about the idea of a mini-golf pro, then you probably haven’t met Brad Lebo. He’s played on ESPN. He has an entire trophy room to hold the spoils of his victories. He has four national championships to his name, with a coveted green jacket from the mini-golf Master’s. Oh, and he’s won more than $130,000 over the course of his career in pro Putt-Putt and mini golf.This is not to say that Lebo can quit his day job (dentistry). In the US, no one earns a living primarily from Putt-Putt or mini golf. But it does keep him busy; Lebo travels to about 50 nationwide tournaments each year between March and October. That’s two, often three, Putt-Putt or mini-golf tournaments a weekend.Speaking of which, yes—there is a difference between the two games. Putt-Putt is a corporation that franchises courses. They have 108 patented holes, repeated across courses. The holes are designed to be “aceable” for low-scoring games with a lot of holes-in-one. Miniature golf, on the other hand, is like Putt-Putt on a psychedelic fever dream. Courses have a wide array of designs and obstacles—think volcanoes, windmills, and waterfalls—with longer, wider holes. Players are often trying to make the hole in two shots.Planning on hitting the microgreens this summer? We got Lebo's top tips for players looking to up their mini-golf mojo.1. Pick the right putter.
When you get into putting position, the top of the putter should hit you at about belt level, with your hands positioned near the middle of the grip. Have your own putter? Bring it. Lebo always does.2. Take stock before you start.
Before the first hole, take a walk around and get a feel for the lay of the land. Are there any water traps? Slopes? “Balls generally will tend to break towards bodies of water and towards any dropoffs in the elevation of the land,” Lebo said.Before each hole, walk from the tee to the cup. This will help you note any obstacles, uneven surfaces, or other hazards. Take a look at the border, too; if you want to bounce the ball off an edge, you’ll want to avoid any uneven spots or gaps when you aim.3. Pick a target.
Lebo said picking a “very precise aiming spot” can boost your accuracy, whether it’s a scuff on the ground or a nick in the bricks. Draw a mental line from your ball to that spot.4. Set yourself up for success.
When you step up to the tee, your feet should be aligned with that mental line you’ve just envisioned. Keep the ball close to the inside edge of your forward foot (left if you’re right-handed, right if you’re left-handed). Then, align your eyes directly over that imaginary line.5. Watch your speed.
On your first few holes, or on a practice green if one’s available, try some shots to get a feel for how fast the ball travels. Depending on the surface, speed can vary widely from course to course—so what worked for you at Pirate’s Cove may not work at Lost Sock Mountain.Illustration: Dav Yendler